Method for cutting metal foil into strip form



July 25, 1967 v. sHANoK ETAL 3,332,307

METHOD FOR CUTTING METAL FOIL INTO STRIP FORM Filed Dec. 29, 1964 fa/wfrro ,Pra Z 70 2 (WIW/V6 A THE JES $5 R .SMQ/Vo@ United States Patent 3,332,307 METHOD FOR CUTTING METAL FOIL INTO STRIP FORM Victor Shanok and Jesse P. Shanok, both of 863 65th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11220 Filed Dec. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 421,828 2 Claims. (Cl. 82-47) The present invention relates to a method for cutting metal foil .into strip form. In forming rolled-up strips of metallic foil, it has heretofore been the practice in the prior art to start with a relatively wide roll of 4metallic foil. The foil was then unreeled from the roll thereof and the unreeled portion was subjected to a cutting operation in a direction longitudinally of the unreeled portion, so as to provide one or more strips having a widthwise dimension less than the widthwise dimension of the original unreeled portion. It was then necessary to rewind each strip so as to form the strip into rolled-up form. However, due to the fact that the metallic foil is generally relatively soft or malleable, the cutting or severing operation resulte-d in the crimping or other distortion of the strip along the cut lmarginal edge thereof. This detracted both from the utility and the appearance of the cut-off strip so that in many instances the utility of the latter was quite limited or completely destroyed. This tended to increase the cost of the resultant product without however providing a product which was completely useable.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for cuttingv strips of metallic foil which method obviates the disadvantages and drawbacks ofthe prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for cutting strips of metallic foil material which obviates the necessity for unrolling the material from the reel or rolled form thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for cutting narrower rolls of metallic foil material from a larger roll thereof which method completely prevents the possibility that the cut edges of the material will be crimped or otherwise distorted.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to one skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specifications taken in connection with the appended drawings which illustrate the best mode for carrying out the present invention.

FIGURE 1 is a more or less schematic and diagramatic illustration of a method for practicing the present invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a reel of metallic foil being cut into narrower rolls pursuant to the present invention, and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a rolledup strip of metallic foil produced in accordance with the method of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates an elongated web or sheet of metallic foil material which is being wound about a hollow tube or reel holder 12. As here shown, the tube 12 is mounted on a shaft 14 which extends through the hollow tube 12. It will be understood that the shaft 14 is being rotated in the direction of the arrow 16 so that the sheet material web 10 is being drawn in the direction of the arrow 18 from a supply thereof (not illustrated) to wind the sheet material 10 about the hollow tube 12 into rolled-up or reel form 20.

It will be understood that the metallic foil web 10 is formed of any suitable metallic material depending upon the use to which the material is to be put. However, it will be understood that the sheet material 10 is preferably formed of aluminum foil which is now in relatively Pce widespread use both for industrial and domestic purposes. Applicants believe tha the crimped edges resulting from the prior art attempts to cut a sheet material web 10 or the like into narrower strips resulted from the fact that the material in the form of a metallic foil is relatively soft or malleable with the result that it is distorted as it is being subjected to a cutting operation. However, it is believed that pursuant to the present invention the malleability of the material is changed or lmodified with the result that when it is subjected to a cutting operation a clean sharp undistorted cut edge results.

Pursuant to the present invention the reel 20 of metallic sheet material provided on the hollow tube 12 is subjected to a temperature which is below the ambient or room temperature. While the below room temperature to which reel 20 is subjected is not critical, it has been found that optimum results are achieved when the reel 20 is subjected to a temperature of about zero degrees Fahrenheit.

The step of subjecting the completed reel 20 to refrigeration so as to reduce the temperature thereof below the ambient temperature and substantially preferably to zero degrees Fahrenheit is generally indicated by the box marked with the reference numeral 22 in FIGURE l. This step may be accomplished in any manner which is best suitable for lowering the temperature of the particular metallic foil used in the reel 20. For example and not by way of limitation, it will be understood that the yreel 20 may be physically inserted into^a suitable refrigerator and remain therein a sucient time to reduce its temperature to substantially zero degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, the temperature of the reel 20 may be lowered to the desired temperature by subjecting .the reel to a low temperature liquid or to various forms of liquefied gasses or refrigerant fluids. It is of course also possible to reduce the temperature of the reel 20 by packing the reel in a suitable refrigerant su-ch as Dry I-ce or by surrounding it with any other suitable refrigerating medium. In any event, it will be understood that the practice of the present invention requires the step of lowering the temperature of the rolled-up metallic foil 10 below the room or ambient temperature and preferably substantially to zero degrees Fahrenheit. It is believed that when the temperature of the reel 20 is so lowered the Irnalleability of the foil will be greatly decreased so that the foil will be tendered into a nonyielding or brittle material or it is believed that the subjection of the reel 20 to the reduced temperature will cause the rolled-up material to tighten about the hollow tube holder 12. In `any event, the subjection of the reel 20 to the reduced temperature puts the reel in such a condition whereby it may be cut into strips as may be desired without causing the cut edges to be crimped or distorted. For example, as best shown in FIGURE 2 provision is made for a conventional lathe 24 on which the reel 20 is mounted. This step of the present method is indicated by the boX identified by the reference numeral 26 in FIGURE 1 which illustrates the step of taking the refrigerated completed reel 20 and mounting the latter on a cutting lathe 24. The cutting lathe 24 is provided with a conventional chuck 28 which is adapted to receive one end 30 of the hollow tube mount 12. The end of tube 12 is securely retained in position Within the chuck 28 by means of a suitable retainer device 32. The lathe 24 is provided with a conventional tail stock 34 on t-he lathe mount (not illustrated), which tail stock is provided with a pointed end 36 which is insertable into the hollow tube 12 at the other end 38 thereof.

The lathe 24 is provided with a conventional cutting mechanism 40. As here shown, the cutting mechanism 40 comprises a mount 42 which is moveable longitudinally of the axis of the reel 20 when the latter is mounted in the lathe 24. The mount 42 is provided with a cutter 44 which may be constituted by a suitable lathe or saw. The cutter device 40 is provided `also with a manually operable control 46 for moving the blade toward and away from the reel 20.

In operation, after the refrigerated reel 20 has been pla-ceden the lathe 24 the lathe is operated so as to rotate the reel 20 about its longitudinal axis. The cutting device 20 is then moved inwardly from the end 28 of the reel tube 12 -as indicated by the arrow 48 along the longitudinal axis of the tube so as to provide a strip of metallic foil having the desired thickness y as shown in FIGURE 2. When the cutting device 40 is in the desired predetermined position, the hand control 46 is operated so as to move the cutting device 40 toward the reel 20 as indicated by the arrow 50. It will be understood that the cutting device is moved sufficiently so that the blade or saw 44 will engage the reel 2t) and cut through both the rolled-up toil material as well as the tube 12. The blade 44 cuts through the rolled-up foil 2) at the portion thereof indicated by the reference numeral 52 between the broken lines 54 and 56 to provide the cutoif strip segment 58. The cutoff strip is illustrated in FIGURE 3. As here shown, the cutoff strip 58 is rolled about a cutoff segment 6G of the hollow tube 12. Consequently, it will be apparent that there is illustrated in FIGURE 3 ya rolled-up reel of metallic tape havin-g a narrower Widthwise dimension than the original roll 20 and being mounted upon its own hollow tube 60. It will be noted that both longitudinal edges 62 and 64 of the rolled-up strip S8 are straight, sharp and free of crimping or other distortion. Furthermore, it will be noted that the strip 58 has been provided in rolled-up or reel form as a result of the described cutting operation land does not have to be rewound as in the prior art into such reel or 'rolled-up form. Consequently, it will be apparent that the strip S in its rolled-up form is immediately useful for any purpose for which it is intended or is in condition to be packaged or stored as may be required. It will be apparent that if it is desired to cut additional strip segments from the reel 20, the cutting mechanism need merely be moved in the direction of the arrow 48. For example, with the blade 44 positioned at the segment indicated by the reference numeral 66 it will be apparent that there can be severed from the reel a narower reel 68 which would have a widthwise dimension between the segments S2 and 66 and consequently have a much larger widthwise dimension than the widthwise dimension y of the strip 58. In like manner, the blade 44 may then be positioned at the 4 segment 70 so as to provide a first cutoff reel strip 72 having a widthwise dimension between the segments 66 and '70 for which the cutting blade 44 moves and a second cutol reel strip 74 having a widthwise dimension indicated by the reference x in FIGURE 2.

While the invention has been speciiically described with reference to metallic lms or foils it will be understood that the invention may have equally advantageous application to foils or ilms made of other materials such as elastomers or plastics which may have physical characteristics similar to those of the material described under the identical environmental and processing conditions.

In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent that there has been illustrated yand described a highly novel method for cutting relatively malleable metallic sheet material web into narrower rolled-up reels or strips of said web which strips have sharp, clean undeformed and noncrimped edges. It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made w-ithin the present invention without however departing from the basic inventive concept thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In the process of cutting a str-ip from a web of metallic sheet material, the steps of providing a reel of metallic sheet material, and reducing the temperature of said reel to substantially zero degrees Fahrenheit before a segment is severed therefrom whereby the reel is rendered more susceptible to the severing operation to obviate deformation of the severed marginal edge thereof.

2. The process of cutting a strip from a sheet of metallic foil comprising rolling said sheet about a tube to provide a reel of said metallic foil, reducing the temperature of said reel to substantially zero degrees Fahrenheit, and cutting through said reel to provide a reel segment which comprises a portion of said tube about which there is wound `a segment of the rolled metallic toil.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,322,843 ll/19l9 Townsend 82--50 X 1,612,282 l2/l926 Goodwin 82-50 X 2,670,528 f3/l954 Brunberg 82-1 3,174,368 3/1965 Best 82-50 HARRISON L. HINSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN THE PROCESS OF CUTTING A STRIP FROM A WEB OF METALLIC SHEET MATERIAL, THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A REEL OF METALLIC SHEET MATERIAL, AND REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID REEL TO SUBSTANTIALLY ZERO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT BEFORE A SEGMENT IS SEVERED THEREFROM WHEREBY THE REEL IS 